Scrip to change $culture.NumberFormat.NumberGroupSeparator

Question

Hi all,

I got some apps that work with dot format and others with comma format. To avoid going to control panel i created the following scrip that changes the format of NumberGroupSeparator and NumberDecimalSeparato. Yhe scrip used to work but I do not know what happens.

Swaps the number format from 1,000.23 to 1.000,23 or vice-versa

$culture = Get-Culture
if ($culture.NumberFormat.NumberDecimalSeparator -eq ',') {
$culture.NumberFormat.NumberDecimalSeparator = '.'
$culture.NumberFormat.NumberGroupSeparator = ','
} else {
$culture.NumberFormat.NumberDecimalSeparator = ','
$culture.NumberFormat.NumberGroupSeparator = '.'
}
Set-Culture $culture

Now, the script work when swamping from comma to dot but not vice verse.

Does someone know what is the issue?

Regards,
Johana

Answer 1

Hi,

I tested the script and it worked as expected. Did you run Get-Culture again to update $culture after Set-Culture?

Best Regards,
Ian Xue

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Answer 2

Hi IanXue-MSFT,

Thank you for your replay.
Yes, when I check the NumberFormat properties it seems like it has changed. But When I go to excel, it is still using dot as NumberDecimalSeparator

If I change the decimal symbol from the control panel to comma manually, and the run the script it does change it to dot.
But from dot to comma it does not work.

Answer 3

Hi,

You may try the workaround of modifying the registry values. It works on my machine after restarting Excel.

$path = 'HKCU:\Control Panel\International'  
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'sDecimal' -Value '.'  
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'sThound' -Value ','  

Best Regards,
Ian Xue

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Answer 4

Hi anXue-MSFT,

My only worry is that the script is used by everyone at the office. I would prefer not to play around with the regedit.

Thank you for your idea. I will certainly try it.

Johana